Spanish Rice

This is one of the dishes my Bhabhi Heena Johari excels in...I simply simply love it and I can have 4-5 servings of it without even feeling guilty.
Well I have learnt the recipe from her but I still love it more when she cooks it for me.
So here is one of Johari's favourite!!!

INGREDIENTS
3 cups Basmati rice (partialy boiled)
2 cups Chicken (boilded and shreded)
2 cups Chicken stock
1 cup Sweetcorn (boiled)
1 Carrot (diced and boiled)
10-15 French beans (chopped and boiled)
1 Capcicum ( diced )
5 Tomatoes (chopped)
1 Onion ( finely chopped )
3 tbspn Garlic (chopped )
2 tbspn Green chillies (chopped )
1 tbspn Black pepper powder
1 tbspn Mixed herbs
3 Eggs ( scrambled)
5 tbspn olive oil
Spring onions to garnish

METHOD
Step1 -In a high wall vessel add the chicken stock and bring it to boil, add in the partially boiled Basmati rice and cover the vessel with aluminum foil and let it simmer on low heat for 15 - 20 mins.
Step2 -In a pan heat oil and stir fry the carrots and beans, remove it in a bowl.
Step3 - In the same oil stir fry the chicken and remove it in a bowl.
Step4 - Now in the same oil add in the chrushed garlic and when it starts becoming golden add in the onions and chilles, sauté till it sweats.
Step5-Now add in the chopped tomatoes and salt, stir and cook on high flame till the tomato mix has almost dried up.
Step6-At this point add in all the vegetables (carrots, beans, corns and capcicum) and chicken, give it all a quick mix and let it simmer on low heat for 15 mins with the lid on.
Step7-Now add in the salt, pepper powder, ajinomotto and mixed herbs.Cover and cook for another 5 mins.
Step8-Add in the scrambled eggs and give it a mix.
On a plate lay a bed of stock cooked basmati rice and top it with the vegetable mix.Garnish with spring onions and serve hot!!!!

LEBANESE PLATTER-MEZZE

Lebanese cuisine includes an abundance of starches, whole grain, fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and seafood; animal fats are consumed sparingly. Poultry is eaten more often than red meat. When red meat is eaten it is usually lamb orgoat meat.It also includes copious amounts of garlic and olive oil, often seasoned by lemon juice.Olive oil, herbs, garlic and lemon are typical flavors found in the Lebanese diet.Most often foods are either grilled, baked or sautéed in olive oil; butter or cream is rarely used other than in a few desserts. Vegetables are often eaten raw or pickled as well as cooked. Herbs and spices are used and the freshness of ingredients is important. In Lebanon, very rarely are drinks served without being accompanied by food. Similar to the tapas of Spain, mezeluri of Romania, and antipasto of Italy,mezze is an array of small dishes placed before the guests creating an array of colors, flavors, textures and aromas.
Today I cooked Mezze (lebanese platter)  for dinner and on my platter I had served
Garlic dip-it is a simple preparation of garlic, lime and olive oil.It is used in the form of dip, sauce or spread.
Hummus-it is one of the must have on a lebanese platter.It is made of chickpeas and seasonings.
Babaganoush-It is a dip made with grilled aubergines and seasonings.
Falafel-Now this ones a Lebanese version of our local Moong dal vadi, it is made with chickpeas.
Shawarma Chicken-Its a grilled chicken side dish made with minimal seasoning which has superb impact on its flavours.
Lebanese prawns-Prawns grilled to perfection with seasoning.
Pita Bread-It's a Lebanese roti and is served for free with meals in Arabic countries.
Pickeled vegetables-Vegetables like cucumber, carrot and chilles are cut length wise and are soaked in vinegar
French fries-Now qho doesn't know what french fries are!!!
Kharbeech-Its my favourite drink, its made up of musk melon and very little milk . It's severed super chilled.

So all my blog lovers here comes a lebanese treat for all of you!!!
Love you guys
Waiting for your verdict on this one.

Lebanese Platter - Dish 6-Shawarma Chicken

INGREDIENTS
500gms Chicken boneless cut into strips
4 tbspn Curd
2 tbspn Amul fresh cream
1 tbspn Tahini paste
2 tbspn Lime juice
1 tbspn fresh ginger garlic paste
1 tbspn green chilly paste
2 tbspn olive oil
Salt to taste

METHOD
Step1 - In a mixing bowl mix in all the ingredients with oil and make a marinade
Step2 -Add the chicken strips to the marinade, cover with cling foil and let it rest in fridge for a minimum of 1 hour. (Overnight works best)
Step3 - Bake the Chicken in a preheated oven for 20mins at 180° or u can grill it on a griddel or a non stick pan.
Serve hot!!!

Lebanese Platter - Dish 7-Lebanese Prawns

INGREDIENTS
15-20 Prawns (tails intact)
1 tbspn curd
1 tbspn lime juice
1 tbspn crushed garlic
1 tbspn tahini paste
1 tspn crushed black pepper
1 tbspn olive oil
Salt to taste

METHOD
Step1 - In a mixing bowl mix in all the ingredients nicely and marinate tbe prawns.
Step2 -Grill the prawns in oven, griddel or on nonstick pan till done.
Squeeze in a little more lime and serve hot!!!!

Lebanese Platter - Dish 5-Pita Bread

INGREDIENTS
250gms maida
1tbspn dry yeast
15gms butter
1 tspn sugar
Salt to taste

METHOD
Step1 - In a small bowl mix sugar and dry yeast, add 2 tbspn of warm water and cover it with a lid and let it sit for 5 mins or till u see the bubbles
Step2-Mix in salt and butter with the flour and make a well in between.
Step3-Add in the fermented yeast sugar mix in the flour well and knead a dough by using little water.knead the dough for around 8-10 mins using the pull and strech technique.
Step4 -Grease a large mixing bowl with oil and transfer the dough in it.Cover it with a cling foil and let the dough rise to double it's size.
Step5-Divide the dough in 13-15 equal portions and roll it out thick rotis using a rolling pin and some dry flour on a flat suface.
Step6-Transfer the Pita rotis on to the greased baking tray and bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 mins at 160°.
(I baked 3 pita rotis at a time, it depends on how big your oven is.Make sure you keep the rotis at an inch diffrence form each other. )
Step7-Remove the pita bread and allow it to cool on the cooling rack.

Lebanese Platter - Dish 3-Babaganoush

INGREDIENTS
1Cup Grilled and mashed Aubergines (baingan)
4 cloves of garlic chopped and fried
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
2 tbspn Tahini paste
1 tspn chilly flakes
1 tbspn lime juice
1 tbspn olive oil
Salt to taste

METHOD
Step1 - In a mixing bowl mix in all the ingredients.
Step2 - Add 1 tbspn of hot olive oil.
Mix n serve

Lebanese Platter-Dish 1-Garlic Sauce

INGREDIENTS
100gms Garlic peeled
200ml Olive oil
2 tbspn Lime juice
1 tspn Salt
2 tbspn Tahini

METHOD
Step 1-In a mixer add garlic and salt, grind till it starts turning into paste.
Step2 - While you are still grinding start adding lime juice and olive oil little by little.You  will now notice sauce have begin to imulsify.
Step3 - When you are done with adding all of the oil and lime juice add in the tahini paste and give it a final blend for 1 min.
The whole procedure will take upto 15 mins of blending.
For making this you can either use a mini food processor or the normal chutney mixer which has a small cap on top trough which you can add oil and lime juice.
While grinding make sure you open the processor/mixer once in 2 mins to scrape down the garlic from the sides of processor/mixer.
Make sure you don't add water.
This is a patient job make sure you aren't in hurry for anything.